ANCAJAS FACES GONZALEZ IN U.S. DEBUT ON FEBRUARY 3
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 26 Dec 2017
Arum's Top Rank has signed up IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, who is represented by MP Promotions, Manny Pacquiao's company. Arum has huge plans for the Filipino world champion because he sees Ancajas as the next Filipino boxing superstar and heir-apparent to the Pacquiao throne. ?We signed him up for three fights in 2018 and if he does well, we will sign him up again for another three in 2019,? said Arum. "We are going to make him a star."
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Ancajas will make his U.S. debut on February 3 and he will fight Israel Gonzalez of Mexico, manager Sean Gibbons told BoxingScene. The 12-round bout will happen at the Bank of America Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The fight will be at the undercard of the 12 round-super middleweight bout between WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez and challenger Habib Ahmed.
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?Jerwin Ancajas, the IBF junior bantamweight world champion and MP Promotions? first world title holder, is an exciting fighter who has not reached his full potential,? said Pacquiao. ?I am pleased to announce that we will have the opportunity to get worldwide exposure through his upcoming fights being televised on ESPN, with the help of the legendary Bob Arum and Top Rank. We, at MP Promotions feel that this opportunity will open the floodgates for Jerwin to reach his full potential and continue to bring great honor to the Philippines. That begins on February 3 in Corpus Christi, Texas, live on ESPN, and we will be with him in every step of the way throughout his journey.?
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A southpaw fighter, Ancajas (28-1-1, 19 KOs) will be making the fourth defense of his IBF title against Gonzalez. He is born in Panabo City, now living in Cavite City and has stopped Jamie Conlan in his last bout on Nov. 18 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "I am thrilled to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank promoting my career in the United States," said the 25-year-old Ancajas. "As a Filipino boxer, there is no higher honor than to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank Boxing promoting you. I look forward to following in the footsteps of my idol and promoter Manny Pacquiao. I want to be a champion for a long time."
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"I have had the opportunity to be ringside for Jerwin's fights in Australia and in Macau," said Arum. "Jerwin has a killer instinct inside the ring and he is a great finisher. Just look at his record. Jerwin has only gone the distance once in his last 14 fights." His only loss was dealt by Mark Anthony Geraldo by a ten-round majority decision in March 2012, when he was still a budding fighter.
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Israel Gonzalez (21-1, 8 KOs), who resides in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, severely outclassed Reymundo Hernandez in his latest fight last November 3. His biggest victory was a 10-round unanimous decision over former WBO light flyweight champion Ramon Garcia Hirales on October 29 last year. Gonzalez, who has won his last eight bouts, is ranked number 10 by the IBF. He is a former WBC FECOMBOX superflyweight interim champion.
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World Boxing News released its Top 50 Pound-for-Pound Fighters for the year 2017. Included in the list are their respective title fight records for the year and their previous rank in 2016. WBN's pound for pound rankings are based on world title wins, multi-weight titles, caliber of opponents, manner of victories, longevity and activity in a calendar year. Fighters earn betters ratings for defeating opponents also rated in the Top 50. Boxers who fail to arrange an upcoming fight for twelve months will forfeit their ranking.
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WBN Top 50 Pound-for-Pound Fighters for 2017:
1 Gennady Golovkin [1-0-1] (4)
2 Vasyl Lomachenko [3-0, 3 KO] (6)
3 Terence Crawford [2-0, 2 KO] (5)
4 Canelo Alvarez [1-0-1] (8)
5 Mikey Garcia [2-0, 1 KO] (42)
6 Naoya Inoue [2-0, 2 KO] (11)
7 Keith Thurman [1-0] (16)
8 Jorge Linares [2-0] (12)
9 Juan Francisco Estrada [2-0, 1 KO](13)
10 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai [2-0] (NE)
11 Leo Santa Cruz [1-0] (24)
12 Donnie Nietes [1-0] (17)
13 Anthony Joshua [2-0, 2 KO] (NE)
14 Deontay Wilder [2-0, 2 KO] (25)
15 Aleksandr Usyk [2-0 1 KO] (43)
16 Wanheng Menayothin [5-0] (27)
17 Sergey Kovalev [1-1] (7)
18 Carl Frampton [1-1] (10)
19 Kosei Tanaka [1-0] (20)
20 Kazuto Ioka [1-0] (19)
21 Adonis Stevenson [1-0,1KO] (23)
22 Errol Spence Jr [1-0, 1 KO] (NE)
23 Manny Pacquiao [0-1] (2)
24 Badou Jack [1-0-1, 1 KO] (38)
25 Abner Mares [1-0] (31)
26 Erislandy Lara [2-0] (26)
27 Roman Gonzalez [0-2] (3)
28 Gary Russell Jr. [1-0, 1 KO] (29)
29 Danny Garcia [0-1] (14)
30 Guillermo Rigondeaux [0-1] (7)
31 Ryan Burnett [3-0] (NE)
32 Jamie McDonnell [0-0] (22)
33 Gilberto Ramirez [2-0] (40)
34 Danny Jacobs [1-1] (32)
35 Jessie Magdaleno [1-0, 1 KO] (33)
36 Shawn Porter [1-0, 1 KO] (NE)
37 Rances Barthelemy [1-0] (41)
38 Miguel Berchelt [2-0, 1 KO] (NE)
39 Murat Gassiev [1-0, 1 KO] (48)
40 Terry Flanagan [1-0] (46)
41 Nonito Donaire [1-0] (36)
42 Luis Nery [2-0, 2 KO] (NE)
43 Lamont Peterson [1-0] (NE)
44 George Groves [2-0, 2 KO] (NE)
45 Shinsuke Yamanaka [1-1] (18)
46 Milan Melindo [2-0, 1 KO] (NE)
47 Billy Joe Saunders [2-0] (NE)
48 Jermall Charlo [1-0, 1 KO] (45)
49 Sadam Ali [3-0, 1 KO] (NE)
50 Rey Vargas [3-0] (NE)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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